Much like the early phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe turned B- and C-list heroes into the biggest stars in the world, the next chapter of the mega-franchise intends to cherry-pick supporting characters from passable films and dubious TV shows for a team-up, high-profile catch-up movie Potential.
Marvel and Disney have released a new extended trailer for lightning* on Saturday, after a debut at the up-and-coming Brazilian D23 Congress, and it feels a bit like old times, with the chemistry and drive. We also get a bit of tonal sheen that we haven’t seen in an MCU film since…maybe? If Deadpool and Wolverine After making every self-referential punchline imaginable to get Marvel through a bad year, next May’s tentpole could actually revive the ongoing saga.
Every character gets the spotlight in the new trailer, including Yelena Belova/White Widow (Florence Pugh), Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, US Agent/John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost/Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kamen), Taskmaster/ Antonia Dreykov (Olga Kurylenko) and Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). There’s also Bob (Lewis Pullman). However, it remains unclear whether he is a friend or an enemy. Then there’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in the Nick Fury slot, which is causing a sensation.
The big shock is even though most of the crew has been withdrawn Black widow And The Falcon and the Winter SoldierVentures that remain completely obscure for so many reasons, the cast ensures the right proportion. And Stan has really become the all-star badass of the MCU, right? In a clip from the film’s big desert chase scene, he goes full Terminator. Fun!
Is this all just a well-cut trailer released at a time when a dash of old-school Marvel flair can go a long way, or will director Jake Schreier (Robot and Frank) deliver the goods? We’ll know when lightning* will be released in theaters on May 2, 2025.
